Don Mattrick Could Earn Nearly $60 Million at Zynga in Short Order

Cha-ching! That's the sound that best describes Don Mattrick's transition from President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zynga. The social game maker apparently wanted Mattrick in a big way, and putting its money where its mouth is as, Zynga could end up paying its new CEO nearly $60 million in cash and stock options.

Right off the bat, Mattrick receives a $5 million signing bonus, followed by a comparatively modest $1 million salary. He also receives $25 million in restricted stock vesting over three years and additional restricted shares and options worth $15 million. On top of all this, Mattrick will be eligible for a bonus of up to $5 million and a performance-based equity grant worth $7 million, Zynga revealed in a filing, according to Bloomberg.

If you do the math, all that adds up to "Quit your job at Microsoft and go work for Zynga" (seriously, if your calculator doesn't say that, then it's either broken or you're not Mattrick). Even though Mattrick leaves behind a high level position at Microsoft, this is a low risk move considering the amount of money he will make and could potentially make. If it doesn't work out, he'll walk away with millions more in his bank account than when he started, and will still be a sought after employee.

All the risk here belongs to Zynga, which is banking on Mattrick to save what some might consider a sinking ship. Given that is the same guy who recently told people there's a console for anyone without an Internet connection (Xbox 360), his brass manner seems a perfect fit for a company that conceived Mafia Wars.